Project Xavier - Hero of Peace
by CFlash94
Summary: Xavier Thomas is a boy who grew up in the big city. He was very excitable and a little bit selfish. However one day while going out with his parents on his 5th birthday, his life was altered drastically. His family was attacked by a notorious criminal who was rumored to have unusual physical abilities. Xavier was able to barely escape with his life, but his parents were not...
1. Chapter 01: Prologue A Hero is Born

Chapter 1: Prologue−A Hero is Born

(Planet Earth)

Earth is a planet that is filled with life. Its people, creatures and plants are all in high abundance. They have changed over the years, but this change has been natural.

As time moves on, people of Earth have found ways to improve living conditions. Some also say that life on Earth has evolved over time.

While this may be true, compared to life on other planets, the Earth is still fairly behind. The biggest difference is their level of energy and control.

This will be explained further down the line.

For now the focus will go to a certain location on Earth.

This location is in the northern region of the eastern hemisphere. And it is one of the largest cities in the world. It is officially called Everest City.

However, Everest City is more commonly known and referred to as North City.

There are three other large cities on the eastern hemisphere as well. They are Ranger City (in the south), Coastal City (in the west) and Trail City (in the east).

Like Everest City, they are also more widely known by their more basic names: South City, West City and East City.

North City is known to be the highest producer of talent out of all the four large cities of the eastern hemisphere. This is due mainly to their higher population. There are many successful people to emerge from North City that have become famous and successful. They are frequently involved with actions such as donations and other generous activities. These men and women have helped create positivity and a strong impact in North City. To the citizens of North City, these people are called 'home-town heroes'.

However, North City is not the only place that needs help. It is only a portion of the entire eastern hemisphere. And in the grand scheme of things, the eastern hemisphere is just a small portion of the the world.

There are always going to be new challenges. And they never get easier.

This is why the people who emerge from North City are not just responsible for helping their home of North City. They are also responsible for the rest of the eastern hemisphere.

And even the whole world.

They must not settle for being 'home-town heroes' and must try to just be heroes. And as long as there is no peace, no person should be satisfied with things.

And anybody who decides to help bring about peace becomes a hero.

Now the focus will turn to a young man that learns this lesson the hard way.

A boy from North City will begin an adventure that most kids his age could not even dream about.

However, just because you do not choose your own path, does not mean that a path cannot choose you. And if it does, be ready…

(North City)

Xavier Thomas gets out of his bed and runs to his mirror. He looks at himself with curiosity.

He was now 5 years old and he wanted to see if he was any different than yesterday.

His face was the same. His dark brown skin and his brown eyes were unchanged. And he was not taller than he was yesterday.

He is nonetheless extremely excited and ran down the staircase with high energy. He can hardly contain himself.

He encounters his mother and father waiting for him downstairs.

"Happy birthday, Xavier!" his parents say.

Xavier looks up at them and says,

"Mama! Daddy! I'm so happy!"

His mother bent down and hugged Xavier. She had dark hair and brown eyes like Xavier, but her skin was a little bit lighter.

She smiles and says,

"I can tell! You can't wait to go to the basketball game later, can't you?"

Xavier's parents had taken time off from work for the day to take him to see the North City Dragons. They were his favorite basketball team.

"Try not to get too excited yet, Son," Mr. Thomas said with a smile. "Remember you still have to go to school first."

Xavier's father had a cleanly shaved head. His dark brown skin just like his son's and he wore thick glasses.

Like most boys his age, Xavier was completely ecstatic to see the team in action.

But what he was maybe most excited about was the chance to see the team captain, Mark Lee, in person.

Mark Lee is a North City native. Therefore he has the rare privilege to play professionally for his hometown. He took full advantage of this by always helping out and being around the community as often as he could. Even when the team struggled, Mark Lee could always be found doing good around North City.

Xavier enjoyed listening to Mark Lee's interviews on television. He also loved the way Mark Lee always remained calm during every challenge the Dragons faced, no matter how difficult. He never gave up and he always stood up for his teammates.

Basically, Mark Lee has been Xavier's hero for as long as he could remember.

Xavier respected him so much that he would always proudly tell his parents,

"When I grow up, I want to be a hero too!"

He had no idea that day was coming soon.

After giving Xavier his gifts, Mrs. Thomas pointed to the kitchen.

"Hurry up and eat your breakfast, Xavier," Mrs. Thomas said. "You'll be late for school."

Xavier replied,

"I don't want to go to school today! Can I stay here until we go to the game?"

Mr. Thomas shook his head

"No way, Son," he told Xavier. "That wasn't part of the deal, remember?"

Xavier then said,

"But it's my birthday! Why not?"

"Because no matter what day it is you still have to do what your parents say," Mrs. Thomas said.

After he ate, Xavier ran to the car and went to school with his father.

"Have a good day, Son," Mr. Thomas said. "Behave yourself."

"I still want to stay home," Xavier said with a sour look.

"Well that's not happening," Mr. Thomas said. "Unless you want to stay at home all day and miss the game."

Xavier sighed and left the car.

"It's _MY_ birthday," Xavier said to himself as he walked to school. "It's supposed to be whatever I want!"

That afternoon after school, Xavier ran to his father's car, where his parents were waiting.

They all drove to the game.

As expected, it was very crowded. But Mr. Thomas had purchased excellent seats for his family. The number of people was not an issue.

The team was introduced one by one.

As the end of the introduction was approaching, there was a brief pause.

The announcer then spoke out,

"And finally…Starting at guard…From right here in North City! HE is the captain! MAAAAARRRRRK LEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Mark Lee ran onto the court waving to the fans and saluting his teammates.

Xavier watched in amazement as the crowd rose to its feet to applaud Mark Lee.

One man in the crowd yelled out,

"The hometown hero!"

Xavier was a little bit stunned. This happened all the time on television. But being able to experience the crowd's reaction in person was incredible.

"They really love him here, don't they?" Mrs. Thomas said.

She spoke with a strange tone in her voice and her eyes had become a little bit red.

Mr. Thomas smiled and responded,

"Yeah, they do. And with all the good things he does for the community, he deserves it. It doesn't hurt that he's so talented either."

"He's awesome!" Xavier said.

The game began and got underway. The family watched the game until an interruption started,

"Aaaa-choo!" Mrs. Thomas sneezed loudly. "Aaaa-choo!"

Again she sneezed with her eyes red.

"You don't sound too well, Babe," Mr. Thomas said looking a little worried.

"Are you sick, Mamma?" Xavier asked looking disappointed.

He did not want anything to distract him from the game.

"I've been feeling a little dizzy for a couple of hours now. But now it's really bad. I think I may have to go home and rest," Mrs. Thomas said with little power in her voice.

Xavier was upset. He did not want to leave the game so early and he tried to act like he wasn't paying attention to his mother.

Mr. Thomas looked at his son and told him,

"It looks like we're going to have to leave early, Son. Your mom is way too sick to be out here."

"But the game just started, Daddy! We can't leave now!" Xavier cried angrily.

Mr. Thomas got more stern,

"Xavier, I don't want to leave either. But do you really want to stay while your mom is not well? You should be more understanding."

"But it's my birthday!" Xavier said.

Xavier would not cooperate. He was bent on seeing this game and watching his hero, Mark Lee play and lead the team.

Before Mr. Thomas could respond, his wife spoke out,

"Don't worry about me, you two!" Mrs. Thomas said with a cough. "I'll be alright. Let's just watch the game. OK, Xavier?"

Xavier felt like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. He reached into his backpack and pulled out one of the snacks his mother packed for him. He then calmed down and watched the game.

When the game finally ended it was close to '11:00'.

Xavier was so energized that the game didn't even feel like the normal three hours. He had just witnessed his beloved Dragons win and he saw Mark Lee point at him from the court and shout out the words, 'Stay strong, little man!' as he ran back to the locker room with his teammates.

It was like Xavier was living a dream.

He was so happy that he did not realize that his mother had not gotten any better throughout the game.

On the contrary, she had gotten much worse.

Mr. Thomas felt his wife's forehead and noticed that she had a high fever and that a trip to the hospital was in order.

When they got in the car Xavier asked his mother,

"Are you feeling better, Mamma?"

"Yeah. Much better," she answered.

Xavier then quickly fell asleep in the car.

Mrs. Thomas looked at her sleeping son and smiled.

She felt no better. But she did not want Xavier to feel any guilt for making them stay at the game. She wanted him to have a happy birthday more than anything.

Mr. Thomas was now driving very fast down the road to Lincoln Hospital.

It was then that the family faced the moment that changed everything forever.

As the car was moving there was a loud BANG on the back bumper.

"What in the world?!" cried Mr. Thomas as he tried to control the car.

He was able to stop the vehicle but it was still sent roadside and could no longer move.

Xavier, now wide awake, asked his father,

"What was that, Daddy?"

His father told him to sit still while he went to check the damage.

Mrs. Thomas, still very sick, stayed with Xavier and waited for her husband to return.

They heard a voice,

"TELL EVERYBODY IN THE CAR TO GET OUT NOW!" The voice yelled. "I WON'T ASK TWICE!"

Xavier and his mother were very startled at this new voice.

As Mr. Thomas came back their fears rose.

"Babe, I need you to come out of the car with me," Mr. Thomas said. "Xavier, you stay here and don't move a muscle."

"What is going on?" Mrs. Thomas asked with fear.

"It's that man from the news…" Mr. Thomas replied quietly. "The Striker,"

Xavier leaped in his seat.

The Striker was a well-known criminal throughout North City and Xavier had seen him on television numerous times. The kids at school and all around the city always talked about him.

His parents went out to confront the man.

Xavier couldn't help but stick his head up just a little bit to get the slightest glimpse to the assailant.

It turns out he went too far up...

"I saw a kid in there! The Striker cried. "Get him out here too or I'll go get him out myself!"

Mrs. Thomas tried begging but the Striker had already started walking towards the car, so she went to get her son herself.

"Xavier stay with me and don't say anything to him," she whispered to Xavier.

The Striker was a fairly tall man with dark black hair and pale skin.

He was a trained fighter with significant energy, much higher than others in North City. He has been able to continue his crimes without being stopped by the authorities. When reinforcements started coming, he simply fled at very high speed without being able to be caught.

Many thought he was 'super-human.'

"So here is what we'll do," the Striker said. "I will leave you folks alone if I receive cash over one thousand. If you A) refuse, B) tell me you don't have that much money, or C) try to escape, I will take your child away and hold him until I get the money."

Mr. Thomas looked at his wife. They did not have that much money on them so there was no way they could pay the madman right then.

Mr. Thomas thought for several moments.

What was he going to do?

He looked at his wife, who looked back at him. They then both looked at their young son sadly. He then nodded his head at his wife.

She nodded back, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

They both knew that they had to protect Xavier no matter what.

He then looked at his terrified young son, who was crying.

"I have to get the money out of the car, if you'll allow me," Mr. Thomas said to the Striker.

The Striker looked at him and said,

"Go ahead then. But I'm watching…"

Mr. Thomas slowly walked towards the car. As he passed his wife and son he said,

"Xavier, listen carefully, understand? When I come out of that car, and pass by you again, you must run full speed away from this place and hide!"

Xavier was shocked.

"But Daddy...What will happen?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me! Just do what I say!" his father said angrily. "And if you don't then I'll give you over to the Striker."

Xavier was shocked and confused. His mind started racing.

Did he do something wrong? Would his own father actually give him to away to somebody like that?

His mother bent down and hugged Xavier tightly, saying,

"Xavier, do what your dad says and do not look back, OK?"

More tears began to fly down Xavier's face.

"You're not coming with me, Mamma?" he asked his mother.

Mrs. Thomas coughed, as she had been doing all night.

"No, Baby, I have to help your father. You're our biggest priority," she said.

Like most 5 year olds, he cried. But he was scared that his father would give him away, so he agreed to the plan anyway.

When he got out of the car Mr. Thomas walked back to the Striker, pretending to be carrying money. He looked at his son one more time and was doing his best not to cry himself. But he had to look serious or his son would lose confidence.

When Mr. Thomas passed Xavier he began to run towards the Striker, and shouted,

"GO NOW!"

Mr. Thomas charged right at the Striker without thinking of himself at all. His wife followed him and they both did all they could to keep the man away from their son.

The Striker was amused and started laughing.

Xavier immediately ran.

He felt awful at the fact that he was leaving his parents. He wanted to go back but he kept on hearing his father's threat over and over again in his head.

With all of his shock and fear, he did not even realize that this could be the last time he saw his parents.

News of the event spread throughout the city.

Many thought that Xavier had died that night with his parents. Even his relatives had no idea of his whereabouts.

One week later, Xavier was discovered in a street corner by a man he hadn't seen before. He got scared and reached for the stick that he had been using to fight off stray animals.

"Relax, Young Man," the man said calmly.

Xavier did not listen and ran away thinking that he was facing yet another criminal. As he was running, the strange man was stunningly already right in front of him. Xavier was shocked at what had just happened.

The man smiled lightly and asked the young boy what he was doing here and where his mother was.

Xavier began to shed tears, but seeing that he could not escape, he shared his story with the stranger...

The man sighed heavily when he had heard Xavier's story,

"This world's lack of peace is causing pain far too often..." he said quietly.

Xavier did not really know what he was talking about but he could tell that this man was not going to harm him.

"Who are you?" Xavier asked.

The man looked like he was in his thirties. He was wearing thick sunglasses.

He looked at the boy seriously before finally answering,

"I am Raymond Fox."

Xavier was shocked.

He had heard of a Raymond Fox around town from the older boys. But never once did he think he would see him.

"You're supposed to be the strongest fighter in the world! What are you doing here?" Xavier asked.

Raymond answered,

"You see, I was born in North City. I come back to visit every now and then to see how it's changed…You however cannot be left here on your own. How have you been feeding yourself?"

Xavier's stomach growled just at the mention of food.

"I've been eating the snacks my mom packed for me. I only eat a little bit so I don't finish it, but I'm so hungry that my stomach hurts!" Xavier said with sadness.

Raymond looked concerned and thought hard for a moment.

He could just drop the boy off at a hospital or something along those lines, but the publicity he would then receive was not something he was looking forward to...

"Then come with me if you don't want to die out here."

As he spoke he began walking away.

Xavier, who was starving, ran after him while shouting,

"Hey! Wait for me, Sir!"


	2. Chapter 02: The Day has Come What is you

Chapter 2: The Day has Come−What is your decision?

"HYAA!"

"HA!"

"HUU!"

Two hours outside of North City, there is an area known as Low Valley.

It is here that Raymond Fox, widely thought to be the greatest fighter in the world, lives and trains. For years he has lived here alone in order to train and stay away from the outside world.

It wasn't until seven years ago that this changed.

Up in the mountains near Low Valley, Raymond Fox was training with his young student.

12 year old Xavier Thomas was attacking his teacher and doing all that he could do to land a hit.

"HYAA! HA! HUU!" Xavier yelled as he threw punches and kicks at his Master.

"You are way too tense and angry, Xavier!" his teacher said. "You must clear your head and focus on your moves."

"I know that, Master Ray" Xavier responded. "I've just been thinking about some things."

"That is not an excuse, boy! When we are here you must focus on the task at hand," Master Fox said.

Xavier looked down.

He was dripping with sweat and he was breathing heavily. He was very used to this routine. Physically, his body was able to do the work, but there was something wrong in his head.

"It's about today, isn't it Xavier?" Master Fox asked.

Xavier nodded.

It was about today for sure. He always had trouble staying focused on this day for the seven years they were training together.

It was Xavier's 12th birthday.

When he had lost his parents in The Striker's attack on his family he was celebrating his 5th birthday. His parents had taken time out of their schedule to take him out to a game and the very next day they were gone.

On every birthday since that day, he has had difficulty focusing on his training.

"If you can't focus then you can stop for today," Master Fox said. "I don't need to waste my time if you're unprepared to work."

Xavier wanted to continue training. He wanted to improve and get stronger. He knew that taking days off would be wrong. The problem was he could not stop thinking about his birthday and he could not stop thinking about The Striker.

"I'll be ready to go even harder tomorrow, Master Ray!" he told his teacher.

Master Fox nodded and said,

"Good. Now go back to the house. I will finish here and see you in about three hours."

Xavier saluted Master Fox and took off.

As he raced away, he could tell he was already moving faster than any normal person could. As he ran and hurled over boulders he took a moment and thought about how far he has come during his time in Low Valley...

(7 years ago)

"This is where you will be staying, young man" a younger Master Fox said. "This place is called Low Valley. I have been staying here for years and only a few people even know of this place."

5 year old Xavier Thomas was still exhausted from the plane ride. When he was fully awake he was amazed. The area was so large and yet so empty.

"How big is this place Mr. Raymond Fox?" the young man asked with his eyes wide open.

"It's about the size of two cities, just without all the noise," Raymond Fox responded. "And from now on, you will refer to me as your training 'master' because I will start training you."

(Now)

Xavier, still on his way home, leaped onto a 10 foot boulder that was in his path. His movement was so swift and smooth that it was like second nature to him. He couldn't help but hold back a small smile as he did it...

(5 years ago)

Master Fox is running through the valley with a large backpack on his shoulder. He is moving so quickly that it seems he is not carrying anything at all. About 50 feet behind him is a 7 year old Xavier struggling with a much lighter load.

"Hey, Master!" he yelled. "I can't keep going on! I need a break!"

Master Fox heard him but acted as if he did not.

"Master, my legs hurt!"

Master Fox finally yelled back,

"They're supposed to hurt, boy! This will make them strong! And if you don't start to catch up with me by sunset, you will run again!"

Xavier's eyes got wide.

Again?

Master Fox then started yelling at him again,

"I gave you the chance last year to go back to the city, but you chose to continue training with me. Do not think that means I will go easy on you!"

Xavier smiled and he started closing the gap,

"Here I come, Master Ray!" the young man yelled with determination.

"Ray?" Master Fox said to himself.

Nobody had ever called him that before. It was always just Raymond. Master Fox smiled lightly and kept running.

(Now)

Xavier is close to the house now and as he makes his way across the last path he finds another boulder even larger than the last one.

"Was this here when I left this morning?" he thought to himself.

That's when he remembered that he left in the opposite direction and couldn't have noticed this boulder.

Seeing no closer way around it, he decides there's only one thing to do.

He puts his hands together and focused his energy.

"HYAAA!" Xavier yells as he throws his right fist at the boulder.

He jumps away backwards right after his punch and doesn't move for a full ten seconds.

The boulder began to crack gradually and suddenly burst into pieces.

Once the path was clear, Xavier went on and entered the house...

(3 years ago)

"Now I got you!" said a 9 year old Xavier as he charged at his master and swung a punch.

Master Fox leaped into the air and seemed to hang there for a moment.

Xavier leaped after him and swung another punch but Master Fox evaded him again.

As they came back down Master Fox attacked Xavier with a swift left punch and the young man went rolling into the grass. Xavier jumped back up and went at him again but the same thing happened.

"Ow! Master Ray, why are you hitting so hard?" Xavier asked.

Master Fox couldn't help but laugh a little. He responded,

"I'm barely even touching you, Xavier…Observe."

Master Fox put his hands together and focused his energy. He then quickly leaped onto a large boulder and,

WHAM!

The rock was in pieces after one hit of his left wrist.

Xavier was awestruck,

"Wow… how did you do that?" he asked.

Master Fox just smiled at him lightly,

"Next time do not say I'm hitting you that hard, or I might hit you like that. Now let's continue!"

(Now)

Back at the house Xavier opened the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of milk.

As he drank he got lost in his thoughts.

Why wasn't he training? Will his birthday have this effect on him for the rest of his life? Would he ever be normal again?

(1 year ago today)

Xavier is sitting in his seat having breakfast.

"So you are 11 years old today? Congratulations, Xavier!" said Master Fox.

Xavier nodded,

"Thanks Master Ray," he said quietly.

"We will begin training shortly, so finish quickly," Master Fox said.

Xavier nodded again with little enthusiasm.

Master Fox sat down in the chair beside him,

"You are not looking at peace, Young Man. What is it?"

"It's just like every birthday, Master Ray. I keep thinking about my parents and The Striker."

Master Fox put his hand on Xavier's shoulder,

"I see…Well come on, let's go train and we can celebrate after. One's birthday only comes once a year and it makes no sense to be upset."

Xavier got up slowly and walked towards the door.

"Besides," Master Fox said. "Your parents would not want you to be upset and neither do I."

Xavier smiled lightly. Master Fox always knew what to say to make someone calm,

"I'll race you to the fields, Master!"

(Now)

Xavier smiled.

Yes, he had lost his parents seven years ago. But remembering all the times he has had with Master Fox reminded him of how blessed he was to have somebody like that looking after him.

His mother and father would not wish for him to be upset on his birthdays and Master Fox would not want that either.

Xavier went up to his room and took a nap on his bed. It was the first time in years that he did not have a nightmare on his birthday.

Master Fox returned from his training a couple of hours later, holding a box. When Xavier came downstairs he saw his teacher sitting down at the kitchen table with a birthday cake on the table.

Xavier was shocked. Master Fox had not done this since his 8th birthday. Was there something special happening?

"Won't you join me, Xavier?" Master Fox asked with a smile. "It's not my birthday after all."

As they ate the cake, Xavier apologized for not finishing his training and said that his birthday would no longer be a distraction.

"I'm glad to hear that, young man. You'll find life much more enjoyable when you choose to be calm and free."

Xavier nodded and then said,

"Master Ray, I'd like to go into the city later today."

Master Fox looked at him intently and replied,

"North City?"

"Yes," Xavier said.

"I see…Any particular reason?" Master Fox asked.

"None," Xavier responded calmly. "I just want to see how it's changed."

Master Fox smiled and nodded,

"Okay then, Xavier. It is your birthday after all. We'll go in about 30 minutes. I will only be dropping you there and leaving so I do not attract any attention."

"No problem, Master," Xavier replied.

Master Fox nodded and said,

"Alright. Get moving then. The flight to North City from Low Valley is about two hours."

"Right," Xavier nodded.

After eating, Xavier went up to his room and put his special necklace on.

"I'm going back to North City today," Xavier said while looking at the necklace. "It's been seven years. I want to bring you guys too."

Xavier smiled warmly at his necklace and ran to meet up with Master Fox.

When Master Fox saw the necklace, he smiled.

"So, you decided to wear your necklace today?" Master Fox asked softly.

Xavier nodded.

"I decided to wear it on important days," he replied. "I think going back home is really important."

Master Fox nodded and said,

"I know you will take great care of it."

As they flew, Xavier remembered how Master Fox once told him how he used to travel into the city frequently.

"You're from North City too. Right, Master Ray?" Xavier asked.

"Yes," Master Fox replied. "Though I haven't had much chance to visit for a few years because I've been busy training you."

Xavier looked out the window and saw the familiar large sign that read:

"NORTH CITY - _The Pride of the Eastern Hemisphere"._

They had arrived.

Master Fox was now ready to go back to the valley.

"I will return to this spot in exactly 6 hours, Xavier," Master Fox said. "Enjoy your visit and do not look for trouble."

Xavier nodded and Master Fox flew off in his aircraft.

Xavier looked around and took a deep breath.

"Wow," he said to himself.

He was back in his hometown.

He walked around he saw many familiar buildings and some that he did not recognize. He then gasped and started running towards where his old home was.

When he arrived at his old house, he saw a man with his arm around a woman who was likely his wife. They were standing at the front door waving at a girl who was maybe 10 years old with a backpack on.

"Have a fun day! We'll see you later!" they said to her.

The girl smiled at them and ran off.

Xavier hid behind a tree to stay out of their sight and smiled to himself.

As he continued to walk around in the city, he started to feel hungry. He then spotted his father's favorite pretzel shop, still standing.

He went in and requested a large cinnamon pretzel. It was shocking to find the same man who had always given him and his father pretzels years ago.

"Here you are!" the man said, giving Xavier the food.

Xavier thanked him and paid him with some money his teacher gave him.

"You know something, Son?" the man said. "You remind me of a little boy who used to come here all the time with his daddy."

Xavier cleared his throat before answering,

"Oh really, Sir? That's pretty strange."

"Yeah," the man said. "The Thomases. Mr. Thomas and his young boy. They used to come here all the time. You're probably too young to remember what happened to them some years back."

Xavier nodded,

"You're right. I must be."

The man continued,

"Yeah. The Striker attacked Thomas, his wife and their boy. I think the kid's name was Alexander."

A woman then joined the conversation,

"No," she said. "His name was Xavier."

Xavier looked over at the new voice and was shocked when he recognized her as well. It was his former neighbor, Ms. Carlton.

Xavier wanted to say hello, but he knew that he could not reveal himself.

"What?" the man asked. "Xavier, huh… Yeah! I think you're right, Miss!"

She nodded and said,

"He and his parents were neighbors of mine before I got married. I used to babysit him. He was such a good young man…"

The man nodded,

"He sure was. He never caused any trouble and his dad seemed real proud of him. That Striker though… If he wasn't a superhuman then somebody would just take him down already."

Xavier looked up quickly and looked at the man,

"Excuse me, Sir? But did you just say The Striker is _still_ in North City?"

"Yeah. That's right, Kid."

Xavier felt his heart racing. He had already asked his next question without even thinking about it,

"Where do you think he is right now?"

The man shrugged,

"Well sheesh, I don't know. Probably attacking a group of little kids or something crazy like that," the man said.

Xavier was completely serious,

"Where might he be then?"

The man thought for a moment and said,

"I think there was actually a news report yesterday that said he was going to rob North City bank again today. So I don't know if that answers your question Ki-…"

Xavier was out of the store before the man could finish his sentence.

The man and Ms. Carlton looked at each other with eyes wide open.

"Wasn't there a kid right there a second ago, Miss?"

Miss Carlton was mystified.

"Yes… I guess he snuck out while we weren't watching," she said. "There was something about that boy…"

"You got that right," the man said. "He bought his pretzel with over 100 in cash and it only cost 20. He must've been loaded."

Ms. Carlton just looked outside with her thoughts racing.

"I feel like I know him from somewhere," she said quietly.

On the outside, there was a gust of wind racing through the city and nobody knew what it was or where it was coming from.

Not one person could tell that it was Xavier running at a high speed

which he learned from training with Master Fox.

He looked at his watch: 4 o'clock it read. He had two hours until Master Fox returned.

"Plenty of time," he said to himself.

He increased his speed to the point that people barely had any idea he was even running past them.

On the way to the bank Xavier heard a loud CRASH. He slowed down and came to complete stop. He looked up and saw the sign that read:

BANK OF NORTH CITY

He looked and saw a large hole in the wall and saw a group of police cars.

He tried to go after the cars, but a police officer grabbed him by the arm.

"What do you think you're doing kid?!" the officer yelled. "Don't you have brains? Get out of here!"

Xavier looked down.

He should have known better. The police wouldn't allow a kid like him to go and deal with such a dangerous criminal…He thought for a minute and seeing that he had no choice, he took the officer's hand and gently threw him away as he raced after the police cars.

Another officer came by to help his partner up.

"Was that a kid that just did that to you?" he asked.

"I don't know what just happened…But I think every bone in my body is vibrating right now." the officer said.

As Xavier ran alongside the police cars, he noticed The Striker.

He was an older man now, but some things about him had not changed at all:

His criminal activity and cold smile.

The Striker then came to a halt causing the police to stop as well.

Xavier slid into a nearby alley and hid himself. He looked at his watch again: 4:45 it read.

"Idiots!" The Striker yelled. "Why do you even bother chasing after me?"

One policeman replied,

"Because it's our duty!"

The Striker began to laugh

"DUTY?" He yelled at the police. "I wasn't even running at half my speed and you couldn't catch me until I stopped. Your duty is to be foolish!"

"Wow…" Xavier said to himself.

Xavier watched The Striker very closely and he became completely amazed. The Striker was not very strong. Xavier could tell just by feeling The Striker's movement of energy like Master Fox taught him.

Xavier calculated that he probably could've beaten The Striker 3 years ago easily.

"Now!" The Striker yelled. "Which one of you will attack me first?"

One officer tried a direct attack at The Striker. He charged and The Striker moved away rather slowly to Xavier's eyes.

"Darn! How does he move so fast?" one officer said.

"He's a superhuman!" said another.

"It's like he disappeared!" another said.

The Striker began laughing.

Xavier just shook his head. He knew it wasn't the right time to come out yet. So he waited longer.

"Now, take a look at my power!" The Striker said.

The Striker pushed one of the police cars towards a policeman and ran off at his fastest speed.

"We failed again!" one officer said.

"Come on," said another. "Let's go back to headquarters and report this."

When they all left, Xavier came slowly out of hiding and ran in The Striker's direction.

Judging by how slow The Striker was moving, he figured he would catch up fairly quickly. He ran hard after the Striker.

When Xavier caught up with The Striker it was 5:15. He waited patiently until The Striker let his guard down.

"Those fools!" the Striker said aloud to himself. "They might as well give me the key to North City! You would think after 8 years, they would just learn to leave me alone! HAHAHAH"

"8 years is a long time," a voice said. "Isn't it time to find something else to do?"

The Striker quickly looked around.

"What!" The Striker yelled. "How did you find me, Kid?"

"I just followed you," Xavier responded.

"Impossible! You little fool! Nobody in this place can keep up with me!" The Striker said angrily.

Xavier was very angry but he did his best to stay calm.

Xavier then began to say what Master Fox taught him,

"A true fighter seeks peace before anything."

"What?" The Striker asked with shock.

Xavier went on,

"That's why I'm going to give you one chance to apologize to the city and to turn yourself in."

The Striker was more shocked. He then immediately began laughing very loud.

Xavier sighed and said,

"If you won't turn yourself in, then you can just leave the city right now and never come back."

More laughter came.

Xavier's heart began to race. He grabbed his necklace tightly.

All of his nightmares and all of the things he had taken away from him were now right in front of him. He was even trying to be forgiving and fair, and yet all he got in return was laughter.

The Striker somewhat stopped laughing and said,

"You know what, Kid? I haven't laughed like that in years. Just for that, I'm going to let you run away without going after you! Wow! What a gifted comedian you are."

Xavier didn't smile. He didn't move an inch.

The Striker kept talking,

"No, seriously! I won't kill you! Just go and I won't even stop you. I can't even begin to tell you how funny that was. What a good laugh!"

Xavier still did not move. But he did get angrier.

The Striker started getting annoyed,

"What? Are you deaf? And don't you dare look at me that way! I'm offering a once in a lifetime chance here. Now GO!"

Xavier did move this time. But instead of leaving, he went one step closer to The Striker.

"OK, stupid kid. I guess you just don't like being lucky. But don't say I didn't warn you when you go to the next world."

The Striker ran towards Xavier and threw a punch right in the boy's face.

The Striker began laughing, but quickly stopped.

Xavier had not moved from the spot he was in. The Striker's fist was resting on his forehead and he did not have a scratch on him. His eyes were still open.

"WHAT?!" The Striker yelled as he leaped backwards. "How in the world are you still standing upright?"

Xavier didn't respond. He just took another step closer.

The Striker picked up a stone and threw it at Xavier's chest. Xavier moved at high speed to the left and watched the stone fly by.

The Striker thought he was dreaming.

" _This is impossible!"_ he thought

He put his hands together and drew up his energy until he had maxed out and said,

"I don't know who you are or where you came from, Freak. But I'm one of the strongest men in the world. Now LEARN YOUR PLACE!"

The Striker charged at Xavier full on and hit him square in the chest.

Xavier went sailing backwards and crashed into a wall. He did not move.

The Striker began to laugh again, while breathing very heavily,

"You see?! All of you idiots don't understand! My power is the highest and nobody in this area can hope to stop me!"

The Striker stopped laughing and thought for a moment.

"Why did I have to spend so much energy on a child?" he thought to himself. "Was he human? Or was he from another planet?"

The Striker looked at his hand. It was red from the contact he had made with the boy's body on his punch.

"I had better go and get the kid's body and be on my guard. Somebody that powerful is sure to have somebody come after him."

The Striker walked over to the wall that he had knocked the boy into. There was a pile of rubble and dust over the area.

"Where is that kid's body?" he said to himself.

Just as he went to clear the rubble, it started moving on its own.

"What is this?" The Striker thought.

It must have been a dog or some sort of animal.

The rubble suddenly moved again and soon it was all moved over.

A figure then rose from the rubble. It stood upright and looked at The Striker intensely.

The Striker was speechless. He couldn't believe his eyes.

The boy he thought he had just killed was standing right across from him…without a scratch on him.

Xavier wiped dust off of himself and began walking towards The Striker saying,

"I gave you a chance to leave this place too, remember? It looks like you're the one who doesn't like being lucky after all."

The Striker ran towards Xavier and tried to hit him repeatedly, but Xavier simply moved out of the way as if he wasn't even trying.

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?" The Striker cried out. "YOU CAN'T BE FROM EARTH!"

Xavier just looked at The Striker. His heart was racing again and his fists were clenched tight.

"Why do you do these bad things to the people? Why do you use your energy for crime? What's the point?" Xavier asked seriously.

The Striker got angry and said,

"I asked YOU a question! Identify yourself!"

Xavier looked hard at The Striker. His eyes began to get hot.

"I'm the one who you attacked 7 years ago," Xavier said while looking at his necklace. "You took my parents away and changed my whole life. I'm Xavier Thomas."

The Striker was confused. He had attacked so many people and families over the years, that he had no idea exactly what the boy was talking about. Until it finally hit him…

"Wait! You're the one who ran away while that stupid couple ran at me and jumped me! I remember now. So you actually survived all this ti- AH!"

The Striker had no idea what had just hit him until he saw Xavier's fist in his stomach.

The Striker had not even seen him move.

Xavier went back to where he was originally standing was and said,

"Do not call my parents stupid again…"

"I don't know who or what you think you are," The Striker said. "But you will pay for that! So…AHHHH!"

Xavier had jumped up and delivered a kick to the Striker's face that knocked him out.

"How could this happen to me…?" The Striker mumbled.

As his vision faded to unconsciousness, Xavier's face was the last thing he saw.

When The Striker woke up, he found himself in a maximum security prison. He was strapped with bright blue lasers against a wall.

"What? Where am I?" The Striker asked disbelievingly.

"This is what your new home looks like," said the chief police officer.

"What?" the Striker asked.

"Our scientists have spent years designing this special prison just for you. The strongest jail cell in the world. Now that we've finally caught you, you'll be here for a while," the officer replied.

The Striker began to struggle and try to break his way out.

No use.

He was locked in.

"I was really stopped?" the Striker said. "By that kid…?"

Another policeman spoke out,

"That's right. That boy told us all about it. He was walking home from his friend's house and found you knocked out and called us right away. He's almost like a hero now."

The Striker wasn't even listening to them. His mind was only on the boy that had just beaten him, Xavier Thomas. He spoke out loud to himself,

"Where did he come from? How could those two weak people be his parents? It doesn't make sense…"

The policemen just looked at each other confused and shrugged.

(Elsewhere)

As Xavier was walking away, he thought of all his nightmares. He was happy that The Striker was finally caught. Now no other person would have to deal with him.

Just as he was getting ready to go meet Master Fox, he heard a woman scream that her purse had just been snatched.

Xavier saw the thief and took care of it quickly so not to draw attention.

He saw a similar situation occur with a man attempting to rob an elderly man. Again, Xavier intervened and the issue was over.

Xavier was in shock. How much problems could one city have? He looked at his watch.

It read, 5:50.

Master Fox would arrive soon. He ran back to the meeting point. When he arrived, he saw his teacher there waiting for him.

While riding away back to Low Valley, Xavier told his teacher about his day.

"Hmm…" Master Fox said. "It would appear you had quite a day."

Xavier nodded.

Master Fox continued,

"Xavier, I know you were trying to do the right thing, but you are not a police officer. You must learn to control your emotions! If you had been discovered, all of the peace that we have in Low Valley would be gone."

Xavier wanted to argue, but he figured Master Fox was right.

"Master Ray, I've been thinking…"

Master Fox looked responded,

"About what, Xavier?"

"I want to go into the city more often, and help the police stop crimes."

Master Fox looked into the sky from the plane. He then smiled lightly,

"So the time has now come? Believe it or not, I actually knew that you might say that one day. Yes, it was very likely…"

Xavier looked nervously as he awaited a response.

"Xavier! You have been training under me for 7 years now. You have learned much faster than I thought you could." Master Fox said. "I offered you a chance to stop training with me and you refused. So now I present you with another decision…"

Xavier listened closely.

"If you decide to go and help the city and still stay with me then we will double your training difficulty. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And you will never tell anybody who you are or let a policeman catch you. You must only help with emergencies and then leave the area. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

Master Fox went on,

"You also must understand that while there will be many simple problems in the city, there may also be difficult ones…Take the Striker for example, I would consider that a simple one."

"I understand, Master Ray," Xavier said confidently.

"There is one last thing I must tell you," Master Fox said. "You have believed since you were very young that I was the strongest person in the world. While it is not too far from the truth, it is inaccurate."

Xavier was shocked,

"Master, I was positive it was you!"

"No! I'm not the world's strongest," Master Fox said. "There are others that are much stronger than me. And to be honest with you, compared to others in this galaxy, I'm almost weak."

Xavier couldn't believe it. Since he was small, he always assumed that Master Fox was the strongest person ever, from any planet!

"Xavier! All of this is important for you to know before you make this decision. So therefore, what is your decision?"

Xavier suddenly heard his childhood hero, Mark Lee's voice in his mind:

Stay strong, little man!

He then replied to his teacher,

"I'm ready, Master Ray. Let's go to work."


	3. Chapter 03: The Adventure Begins Get off

Chapter 3: The Adventure Begins−Get off my Planet!

"Nobody move! If anybody gets any ideas then my partner will blow up this whole building!"

A large man holding a bat is yelling at a crowd of people at North City's bank. He continued,

"You see, now that The Striker went down, this is officially my town, understand?"

A man in the crowd then yelled,

"Who do you think you are? Leave us alone!"

The criminal smiled and responded,

"No can do, Sir! And just for that, you get to be the first person to feel my wrath in this city! So take this!"

Just as the criminal is about to strike the man with the bat he was holding, the doors burst open.

12 year old Xavier Thomas walked in holding a rope in his hand. As he came through the door, the other half of the rope was revealed.

The criminal with the bat gasped in shock when he saw the other half,

"Manny! What happened to you? Don't tell me that little kid tied you up!"

The one known as Manny was tied up on the other end of the rope Xavier was dragging into North City Bank.

Xavier looked around calmly,

"Good," he said. "Nobody's hurt."

Xavier then looked at the criminal with the bat and said,

"I think this is yours," he said, holding up a device.

The man couldn't believe his eyes.

"How did you get your hands on that device, you little punk?"

Xavier did not respond.

The man began getting nervous,

"Just be careful! If you press the button on that device then this whole place will explode!"

Xavier then said,

"I know that. Your partner told me."

The criminal clenched his teeth and said,

"Manny did what?"

Xavier looked closely at the device and asked,

"How do you shut it down?"

The criminal smiled,

"You idiot kid! Why would I tell you that? Now I will ask the questions here. And my first one is, who the heck are you? And how did you stop Manny by yourself?"

Manny then looked up at his partner,

"Listen, Skip. That kid…he's not normal. Don't mess with him or things might get bad."

The criminal, now known to be called Skip was angry and confused,

"You're a fool, you know that? How could one little kid do this to you, what is he- magic?! Do everyone here a favor and just sit there quietly with that rope keeping you warm."

Xavier was getting bored.

Since Skip would not tell him how to shut off the device, he thought of something else. He threw it onto the ground and raised his foot.

Skip's eyes got wide with fear,

"Hey! Stop that, kid! Do you want everyone here to die?!"

"Tell me how to turn it off," Xavier said.

Skip did not answer.

Xavier then threw his foot down on the device but was careful not to hit the button with the impact of his foot.

The device was in pieces and the bank had not exploded.

Mission accomplished.

"Now," Xavier said. "Give up and I won't have to hurt you, OK?"

Skip was dumbstruck.

He was certain that the bank would blow up. When it didn't he was flabbergasted.

"But…I loaded this whole place up to erupt," he said still confused.

Xavier looked at him and said,

"I just broke it without touching the button. You should calm down."

Skip looked back at Xavier,

"And now what? You think you're going to take me in? All by yourself?"

"That was the plan," Xavier said.

"Well let me tell you something, Kid. You picked the wrong guy to bother," Skip said.

Skip walked over to Xavier and got ready to swing his bat.

Xavier didn't move.

The same man from earlier in the crowd ran out and tackled the criminal.

"Get off me, you idiot!" Skip yelled.

"Are you out of your mind? That's a boy you're about to attack!" the man yelled back.

Skip pushed the man off of him and replied,

"Do you think I care? Look at what he's done! He shamed my partner, broke my device and put himself right in the middle of this situation. He deserves what's coming."

The man tackled Skip once again and for a second time he was pushed off.

"That's it, Guy! You're first!" Skip yelled.

Skip swung his bat at the man from the crowd as hard as he could.

His swing touched nothing but air as he fell over with the bat flying out of his hands.

Terribly confused, he looked up.

He then saw Xavier standing on the other side of the room holding the bat. The man from the crowd was crouched behind him with his eyes closed.

Skip was amazed,

"What kind of kid are you?" he said. "Are you even human?"

Xavier looked at Skip.

He was now the second person, along with The Striker, to ask him the question, 'Are you human?'.

What else would he be?

"I'm human," Xavier replied. "You're just not on my level."

Skip opened his mouth,

"We'll see abou-"

Before he could finish, Xavier had ran over and hit Skip in the back with his wrist, knocking him out cold.

The crowd was silent and looked at Xavier with a little bit of fear. Xavier looked at them and said,

"It's OK, he's just asleep. You're safe now."

The crowd looked at each other in fear and awe.

"Did you see that?" one man said.

"How old is that kid?" said another man.

"Is he really human, or an alien?" said one girl.

"He must be human, he's too cute to be an alien," said another girl.

Xavier walked over to the man he rescued and said,

"I have to go now, Sir. I'm in a hurry. The police are almost here, so could you keep an eye on these two until they get here?"

The man wasn't sure what to say,

"Uhh…Sure, Kid. no… problem…Wait! What if he wakes up or the other one breaks out of that rope? They will just start trouble again!"

Xavier turned back around to the man,

"Don't worry, Sir. They won't do a thing until the police get here, I promise. Thank you."

Xavier then ran out of the bank.

"Hey wait, Kid!" the man yelled. "Darn he's gone. I was going to ask his name."

The man then turned around to the other people in the crowd and said,

"Can you all believe that boy? Amazing huh?"

The others nodded.

One other man in the crowd yelled out,

"I don't know about y'all but I'm stayin' right here. I want to tell the cops about that kid too!"

Others in the crowd spoke out in agreement, while some did not,

"No way I'm staying here!" one girl said. "What if those two cause more problems!"

Skip's partner, Manny, who was tied up the whole time, spoke out,

"You folks don't have to worry about me. There is no way I'm messing with that kid again. You can count on it."

The man who Xavier rescued then replied to Manny,

"Wait a minute, Boss. We all want to know something. How on Earth did that kid get you tied up like that and then drag you in here like a little baby?"

Manny looked up,

"I might as well tell you to pass time until the cops show up…"

(Earlier that day)

Manny is walking around the bank holding a device with a large button. He then heard a voice from inside the bank.

"Nobody move! If anybody gets any ideas my partner will blow up this whole building!"

Manny shook his head.

"That Skip," he said to himself. "What is he showing off for? We should have been gone by now."

Manny sat down, waiting for his partner to either come out or give the signal to come inside with the device.

Then he heard something.

"What was that? Who's there?" Manny said as he picked up his bat. "Whoever you are, show yourself!"

Then a voice spoke out,

"Drop what you have and give up."

"Come out here!" Manny shouted.

Xavier then came out and faced Manny.

Manny smiled widely,

"What? You're just a kid. Get out of here, Boy! This is no place for you."

Xavier shook his head and said,

"I heard what you said and I heard what you're partner said. You should both give up now."

Manny stopped smiling and said,

"I think I've warned you enough!"

Manny threw his bat at Xavier as hard as he could.

Xavier did not move or even blink. He raised his hand and caught the bat. He then broke it in half.

Manny was stunned.

How did he do that?

Manny then ran towards the front of the bank to warn his partner.

Xavier moved directly in front of him to cut him off.

"Shut off the device. I don't want an explosion, and neither should you," Xavier said.

Manny's eyes got wide,

"I can't! Only Skip knows how to. I swear."

Xavier looked at him and could tell he wasn't lying.

"OK. Give it to me then," he told Manny.

"Here! Take it…Well see ya, Kid!" Manny said.

Xavier grabbed him and said,

"No. You can't go."

Xavier took out some rope he had brought with him.

Manny got angry and pulled up a fist and said,

"OK, Kid! You're really asking for it!"

Before Manny could throw a punch he was shocked,

"Huh?"

Manny could not believe he was tied up already and he could not even move. He then gave up and stopped talking as Xavier pulled him into the bank…

(Now)

The man Xavier rescued was in awe.

"Amazing…To think one little kid could do that"

Another man in the crowd did not believe it and said,

"You're lying, Man. There's no way a boy could do that!"

Manny just shook his head,

"So you think I did this to myself?"

A lady who had stayed behind to hear the story also spoke out,

"He's right. Why would he tie himself up like that? And even if you don't believe him, you just saw what the boy did to his partner just now."

The doubting man looked down,

"I guess you're right. But how can it be? I haven't seen a person move and fight like that since…since this guy I used to see on TV. His name was…"

The man Xavier rescued opened his eyes wide and said,

"You mean Raymond Fox?! I know who you're talking about!"

The other man nodded excitedly,

"Yes! That's it! Fox used to be on TV all the time! My brother and I always watched his fights. But I didn't think there was another person in the whole world even close to his level except for this group called the Y…"

All of a sudden the doors burst open and four police officers came in.

"Are you folks alright?! Are these the offenders?" one of them said.

The man Xavier rescued nodded his head,

"Yes, Sir these are the guys."

One policeman was confused,

"But how are they under control? Who is responsible for this?" he asked.

The rescued man was a little hesitant before answering,

"Well you see, Officer. There was this boy and he uh…"

Another cop shook her head,

"Not this story again," she said. "Chief, where is this nonsense coming from?"

The first cop shrugged his shoulders and said,

"I assume you're going to tell us that this young boy used unusual power to stop the criminals and then left right before we got here. Am I correct?"

The man Xavier rescued nodded his head,

"I take it you've heard of him before?" he asked.

The third cop spoke out again,

"Of course we have! We've been hearing about him for weeks now! You're the second ones today to tell us this story."

The other cop went and took the criminals to the police car, while the fourth and final cop spoke out,

"Well, it's unlikely that this many people would make up one story, Chief."

The first cop agreed,

"If this story is real, we will find out," he said.

He and the other officers exited the bank.

A few miles away, Xavier was running towards the edge of North City. It was there that he had planned to meet with his teacher.

(Elsewhere)

Xavier looked at his watch '5:50' it read.

"Good," he said to himself. "I should meet Master Ray in time by 6."

He suddenly stopped when noticed a familiar sight.

There was a large sign that read: 'North City Park'.

(Years earlier)

"Come on, Xavier! Try and catch me, Son!" said a man.

A much younger Xavier was running as fast as he could, but he could not manage to catch the man. Xavier fell on his back smiling, but out of breath.

A woman then walked towards him and lay in the grass next to him.

Xavier looked at the woman and said,

"Mamma, tell Daddy to slow down! I can't run that fast."

She smiled at her son and then called her husband over to join them.

"What's wrong, Son? Was I going too fast for you?" Mr. Thomas asked Xavier.

Xavier quickly got back on his feet,

"No! I was only pretending to be tired. You can't catch me now!"

Xavier ran off as fast as he could. He thought nobody would catch up with him until…

"I gotcha, Boy!" his father said. He lifted his son up on his shoulders.

Xavier started laughing.

Mr. Thomas then carried Xavier back to where Mrs. Thomas was sitting.

She sat there smiling and said,

"What happened, Xavier?" his mother asked. "I thought you were too fast for your dad!"

"Not yet," Xavier said smiling. "But when I get big I'll be way faster than him!"

His parents smiled as they all lay in the grass together.

(Now)

Xavier stared at the park for a while. He watched all of the kids playing. Some were with their parents and others with friends.

He looked down and sighed quietly.

"Uh Oh!" Xavier said.

He looked at his watch: '6:01' it read.

Xavier looked at the park one more time and ran full speed to the edge of the city.

When he reached the meeting point it was 6:10. He knew he was in trouble.

Right there waiting was Raymond Fox with a stern look on his face. Behind him was his private jet. It was an aircraft that could sit about 10 people maximum. This was the plane he used to travel anywhere out of his home in Low Valley.

"Xavier!" Master Fox said. "You're late. Why?"

Xavier looked at his teacher,

"I'm sorry, Master Ray. I was in good time, but I got distracted on the way here."

Master Fox replied,

"I see. Well, be that as it may, that is not an excuse. I expect you to be where you say that you will be, understand?"

Xavier nodded,

"Yes, Sir."

"Unless the distraction was urgent, which I don't sense it was, you must stay true to your word," said Master Fox.

"I understand," Xavier replied.

Master Fox nodded and walked towards the aircraft,

"Good. Let's go then."

As they flew away, Master Fox asked of the activities Xavier had done today.

Xavier spoke about how he had broken up an ambush and the incident at North City Bank.

"It would appear that you are not being challenged out there," Master Fox said.

"Not really," Xavier replied. "Everything's been easy."

Master Fox nodded,

"Well, I suppose that is a good thing in a way. But you must not forget what I told you, Xavier."

Xavier understood,

"I know, Master Ray. At any time there could be a serious threat that could be too hard for me."

"Precisely," Master Fox nodded. "And that is exactly why the training will be getting even harder now."

"I can handle it Master Ra-…"

BOOM!

Xavier quickly turned to the window,

"What was that?" he asked his teacher.

Master Fox looked somewhat surprised and said,

"Now who could that be?"

Xavier was confused,

"Master Ray, that sounded like an explosion, not a person!"

"No," Master Fox said. "That was a spaceship, Xavier."

Xavier was amazed,

"A spaceship?"

"Without a doubt," said Master Fox. "There's a certain noise they make as they fly through the air."

"So you mean there's an alien here?" Xavier asked.

Master Fox nodded and said,

"It would appear that somebody either lost control of the ship or was flying under aged. That was not the proper landing sound."

Xavier knew from Master Fox's teachings that there were other beings on other planets but he would never go into much detail.

Xavier also never expected to encounter alien himself.

He said to his teacher,

"Master, what if they're bad? Or try to hurt people?"

Master Fox looked out a window,

"That is possible, Xavier. This is why I am going to go and investigate."

Xavier got anxious,

"All by yourself? Can I come with you?"

Master Fox thought for a moment.

They were too far from Low Valley to drop Xavier off and it was getting too late to leave him in the middle of the city.

"I suppose I can't leave you here," Master Fox said. "Fine. You may come with me. But you must do as I say. If I tell you something you must not argue. Understand?"

"I do."

"Then let's go."

Master Fox changed the coordinates and went another direction.

"Master Ray, I have a question," Xavier said.

"What is it?" said Master Fox.

"How do you know where to fly to?"

Master Fox pointed out the window,

"I'm simply feeling for our guest's energy signal."

"You can feel energy from this far away?" Xavier asked.

Master Fox nodded,

"Anything that is alive has energy as I've told you before. If you close your eyes and concentrate hard, you will always be able to feel it and track it down."

Xavier was still confused,

"But there are a lot of people on Earth. How can you lock on just one person?"

Master Fox replied,

"Our guest appears to be stronger than the average human and he's not too far away so that makes it easier to track. Plus I'm simply following where the loud noise came from as well."

"OK, I see now," Xavier said as he looked out the window,

After about 10 minutes, Master Fox initiated the landing.

"We've arrived, Xavier," Master Fox said once they landed. "Go out and see what the situation is."

Xavier was shocked. Just twenty minutes ago, Master Fox didn't even want him to even come. And now he was sending him out there alone.

"You're not coming Master Ray?" Xavier asked.

Master Fox answered,

"I'll be right here in the ship waiting for you. Besides, after feeling this new energy, I don't think you should even need me. Go on."

Xavier jumped out of the ship and looked around. He saw nobody.

Knowing that Master Fox was hardly ever wrong, he tried another way to find the alien. He closed his eyes, stayed still and tried to feel the energy. He did this for almost two minutes. He suddenly opened his eyes.

There!

Xavier swiftly turned to his left.

He took off in the direction he felt. After running about fifty yards, he finally saw somebody.

A regular looking boy around his age and height was wearing unusual armor. He had a helmet on his head with a technological ear piece as well. He also wore some type of large wristwatch.

The young man was looking at Xavier as if he had been expecting him.

"I knew they would send somebody after me!" The young man yelled. "But you don't scare me!"

The boy charged and threw a punch at Xavier's face.

Xavier just barely avoided it.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Xavier yelled out.

The boy had bright blue eyes and very high energy.

He jumped backwards and then charged at Xavier again, this time with a kick.

"You won't confuse me, Sorovian!" The boy said. "You might as well go back there alone because I'm not going with you!"

Xavier jumped high into the air to avoid the kick and replied,

"Listen! I don't know what you mean but you should calm down before you cause a scene!"

"Liar!" the boy yelled.

He jumped just as high as Xavier and punched him hard in the face.

Xavier took the punch and landed hard on the ground. When he got back up, he was angry.

But strangely, he couldn't help but smile a little bit.

He had been fighting criminals in North City for weeks now. And in all that time, not a single person (besides Master Fox in the trainings) had been able to actually hurt him until right now.

"Well…If you won't listen then I guess I have no choice!" Xavier said.

He ran towards the stranger at his top speed.

They collided and hit each other. They then charged and got ready to attack again until they were pushed apart by a strong force.

The stranger was on the ground holding his shoulder from Xavier's hit.

Meanwhile Xavier himself was rubbing his face from that earlier punch.

"I told you to see what the situation was. Not to fight!" Master Fox said.

Xavier looked up.

"So it was Master Ray that pushed us," he said to himself

"Xavier?" the stranger said. "But that's not a Sorovian name."

Xavier was confused.

"No, Young Man, it is not," Master Fox said, "Xavier has never been to Planet Sorvan or even left this planet at all."

Xavier looked at Master Fox and said,

"Master Ray, what are you both talking about? What is Sorvan?"

The strange young man now began to laugh loudly. He got on his feet and said,

"Oh, really? I guess I messed up…Didn't mean to cause a problem!"

Master Fox looked at the boy very heavily and said,

"Judging by your attitude, I think that you might be a Vodeerian. Am I correct?"

The boy looked at Master Fox with surprise and said,

"Most definitely! You must be pretty smart, Old Man!"

Xavier got on his feet as well and said,

"You could try to be more respectful to him you know? He could beat you down in five seconds, tops!"

Master Fox held up his hand

"Do not worry about it, Xavier," he told his student. "The people on Planet Vodeer are naturally like that. He means no disrespect."

The Vodeerian boy laughed again and pointed at Xavier.

"Although!" Master Fox said. "While he is on Earth, he could learn to respect his elders!"

The boy stopped laughing and smiled,

"Yeah, OK. My mistake, Old Man."

Master Fox looked at him again and said,

"In any case, your ship did not land properly. Why?"

They all looked over at the boy's spaceship lying in the ground inside of a crater.

Xavier spoke out,

"Yeah, and what are you even doing here?"

The boy then stopped smiling and looked completely serious.

"I came here to escape," he said.

"Escape what?" Xavier asked.

Master Fox held up his hands and said,

"Explain your situation, Boy."

The boy thought for a moment and came to the conclusion that he was among trustworthy people.

He began to tell them his story,

"It all started two years ago back home…"

(2 years ago on Planet Vodeer)

A young man is running around outside of his house on a planet somewhat similar to Earth, but bigger. Another noticeable difference in planets is that the color of the sky on Vodeer is a mix of blue and light gray. There are also larger buildings and greater levels of technology.

"Calaroh!" a woman's voice from the house yells. "Come inside and eat something!"

The young man stopped running around and looked towards the house. He had blond hair and bright blue eyes. He ran towards the house and yelled out,

"I'm coming, Mother!"

He went inside and saw a woman who like him had bright blue eyes, but her hair was short and black.

"Sorry, Mother!" the young man called Calaroh said. "I was trying to run faster than I did last time."

His mother pushed her black hair out of her eyes. Her blue eyes were bright with emotion as if she had been crying.

"Don't worry about it, Calaroh. Let's eat, OK?" She said.

"Fine with me!" Calaroh said laughing. "So I guess Dad is too busy at work to eat with us today?"

His mother looked down at her feet and said,

"Let's go eat, Son. We need to talk about something important…"

As they ate, Calaroh's mother was surprisingly quiet. She did not tell a single funny story and she kept staring into space. This was highly unusual for Vodeerians.

"Mother," Calaroh said. "You said you wanted to tell me something, right?"

Calaroh's mother came back to reality and faced her son,

"Calaroh…" she said quietly. "You know that your father and I both love you, right?"

Calaroh was confused.

"Yeah I do. What's going on?" he responded.

"It's King Sorvan, Calaroh," his mother answered.

She looked more and more like she was about to cry with every word. She continued,

"He just had recruitment for his empire. He's taken the fifty strongest fighters on Vodeer. And your dad was one of them…"

Calaroh's mother couldn't contain herself anymore and began to cry and get emotional.

"Your father may not come back to Vodeer again," she said sadly. "But he wants us to know he cares about us…"

Calaroh was still trying to take in what his mother had just told him.

"Dad is gone?" he said quietly. "And it's because of Sorvan…"

King Sorvan, also known as the 'Evil Emperor', is the powerful ruler of his home planet. He is also considered the ruler of the other planets around his home of Planet Sorvan, which he had renamed after himself.

Sorvan was gifted with incredibly high energy. He was considered a once in a generation type of talent. Unfortunately when he was a young prince, he realized his power and overtook his own parents for the throne. His parents were then sent away and he built an empire by himself as a child.

For years he has been going from planet to planet and taking their strongest fighters to be part of his empire. If they were to refuse, they were either imprisoned or executed.

Calaroh was still stunned. He had his hands on his head, brushing his blond hair back and forth. He walked over to his mother and hugged her tightly as she promised him everything would be alright.

"Your father is the smartest man I've ever met," she said quietly. "He will take care of himself…"

Over the next two years, Calaroh lived with his mother in relative peace.

Though they missed his father very much, it was not in a Vodeerian's nature to be upset for very long about things. They kept belief that everything would turn out fine one day.

Calaroh, now 12 years old, was growing stronger every day. He was excelling in all of his fighting and energy classes.

He was hoping to one day be recruited to Sorvan so he could save all the other recruits.

However, when he returned home one day he was in for a surprise.

"Mother! I'm ready to eat!" Calaroh yelled as he entered the house.

His mother walked toward him with her dark hair tied back and her blue eyes glowing with emotion.

"What is it, Mother? Are you OK?" Calaroh asked.

She held her son in a long embrace and said,

"You've been recruited to Sorvan's empire, Calaroh."

Calaroh broke away from the hug,

"What?! That's not possible. I'm too young!" he said.

His mother shook her head and said,

"While you were out today, two of the King's men came looking for you. They're now starting to go after the younger fighters too…And since you're the son of one of the recruits, you were high on their list…"

Calaroh was angry. He wasn't ready to go now. He wasn't strong enough yet to make a difference.

That was exactly what Sorvan was thinking. Start now to take recruits while they're young to prevent them from turning on him in the future.

"Mom! I can't go. I won't!" Calaroh said.

His mother put her hands together and looked up,

"I wish it wasn't like this. But Sorvan is in charge, Son."

Calaroh thought for moment and then he had an idea.

"Mom," Calaroh said sharply. "What if I run away? I could take Dad's ship and go to another planet!"

His mother shook her head,

"They would look for you, Calaroh. And they will probably punish you as well."

Calaroh got more angry and shouted,

"I would rather have that happen than be one of Sorvan's stupid men! I have to get away and get stronger quick! And maybe find help too!"

His mother thought for a minute,

"And what if they come back here? What would I tell them happened to you, Calaroh?"

"Tell them that they're wrong!" Calaroh said. "Tell them that you don't really have a son and they're looking for someone else."

His mother sighed,

"Calaroh, that won't work. They have our records! And they'll be sure to ask your father too…"

"No, Mom!" Calaroh yelled. "Dad won't mess this up. He'll catch on to what we're doing. I know he will! You're the one who always says that nobody's smarter than Dad! Don't you want me to get away from Sorvan?!"

His mother looked at him angrily,

"No, Calaroh! I want you to be safe. And at least with your father on Planet Sorvan I'll know where you are."

Calaroh looked down.

He hadn't really thought about how much his mother was going through.

He looked at her face. Both of their blue eyes were glowing now.

"Mother, I will be safe. I promise," Calaroh said. "But I have to do this whether you say yes or not."

Calaroh's mother realized that she couldn't force him to do anything at this point and gave in,

"You're acting a lot like your dad," she whispered. "Fine. I can't stop you. But you don't even know how to fly a ship, you're still under-aged!"

Calaroh answered,

"But I'm old enough to use autopilot, Mom. The space police won't bother me as long as it's on autopilot. I'll just make it send me to any planet not too far away."

They made the preparations and soon enough the ship was ready to fly away.

"Are you sure you've got enough food? And armor? And clothes?" his mother asked.

"Yes, Mom. I have everything I need," said Calaroh.

His mother hugged him again and started to cry a little bit.

"Call me on your communicator as soon as you land somewhere, OK?"

"I will, Mom. Don't worry."

Calaroh jumped into the ship and set the coordinates to the closest planet to Vodeer in Sorvan's opposite direction.

His mother watched the ship fly away and waved to her son one last time.

(This is where Calaroh's story to Master Fox and Xavier ended)

Calaroh's mother stared at the ship as it disappeared into outer space,

"Please…Just be safe," she said to quietly.

The next day, two Sorovian soldiers came to Calaroh's home.

When she heard the knock, Calaroh's mother went to answer the door.

"Ma'am," one of the soldiers said. "We are here to take your son. These are King Sorvan's orders."

Calaroh's mother was a little bit shocked. She hoped that she would have more time until this encounter.

However, she already planned what she wanted to say.

"You see, gentlemen," she said. "There would appear to be a mistake. I have no children."

The first soldier removed his helmet. It was clear that he was a Sorovian because of his pale gray skin and serious expression. As tradition of all Sorovian soldiers, he was completely bald.

"What sort of game are you playing with us, Woman?" the soldier said. "Just yesterday, you told us that your son was not home and now you don't even have a son at all?"

Calaroh's mother had been expecting this conversation. She replied quickly,

"You see, Sir, you asked me if my son was here. All I said was that there was nobody in the house except me. When you gave me the King's recruitment paper, you had already left before I could say anything else. I believe you may have the wrong family."

The soldiers looked at each other.

Technically, Calaroh's mother was not lying. She never told the them that she did not have a son in their last meeting. But luckily, she also never confirmed that she did.

"Check the house," the first soldier said to the other.

Calaroh's mother tried to remain calm, but she was very nervous. She was at least glad that her son was gone. If Calaroh had just stayed one extra day then he would have been taken. And It probably would have been by force.

The second soldier returned from checking the house and confirmed that there was nobody else inside.

"But," he said. "There is a room that looks like it belongs to a boy upstairs."

The soldiers then looked at Calaroh's mother.

She was scared, but she thought quickly,

"That is only a guest room. Nothing more," she said.

The soldiers looked at each other again. They had orders to kill anyone who showed resistance. But this woman wasn't resisting. They had no evidence to doubt her.

"OK, Ma'am," the first soldier said. "We apologize for the confusion."

The two soldiers left the house and got on their ship back to Planet Sorvan.

Calaroh's mother closed the door behind her and fell to her knees in relief.

"Calaroh…" she whispered.

(Meanwhile on Planet Sorvan)

Planet Sorvan was a different type of world. The skies were a light purple color at all times due to a purple aura that surrounded the planet. This meant there was no simple way for foreigners to tell whether it was night or day.

There was a large estate with a grand castle but most of the houses were very small. In the castle was where the ruler, King Sorvan, could be found.

The two soldiers that spoke with Calaroh's mother began to land. Many Sorovians began to clear out and make way.

"Let's go find the commander before he finds us," the first soldier said to the other.

They went to the castle and found the commander waiting outside the door.

He wore a similar helmet and armor as them except his was in a different design that was only for commanders.

"Well," the commander said. "Where is the last recruit?"

The second soldier spoke out,

"Sir, there seems to have been an error in the report. Shaira Dimensio does not have a son."

The commander was shocked,

"Are you insane?" he said. "We did a full and complete study! Shaira Dimensio and her husband, Vex-el Dimensio have a son named Calaroh Dimensio. Our research has never been wrong!"

The first soldier replied,

"Sir, we searched the whole house and there was nobody else there. Just the woman."

The commander was very angry,

"Do you have any idea what King Sorvan will do when we tell him we made an error on one of the families?"

"No, Sir!" the two soldiers said.

The commander yelled in response,

"Neither do I! And that is the problem! We could be history…"

The first soldier looked down and said,

"Sir, we don't know what to say. We found no certain evidence of her having a son."

The second soldier's eyes got wide,

"Wait a minute! Isn't Vex-el Dimensio here as one of the older recruits? Maybe we can get information from him, Sir."

The commander thought for a moment,

"Well don't just stand there. Go find him! And for your sake, he better have something helpful to say."

The soldiers went into the castle and pushed through the crowd. It was mostly made up of recruits from various planets, both young and old. In some cases, there were even family reunions between fathers and sons.

The two soldiers got to a podium and sent out their announcement.

"If Vex-el Dimensio, of Planet Vodeer is here then let him come with us downstairs, immediately!" the second soldier cried out.

After a brief wait, a man made his way to the two soldiers.

He was a fairly tall man with brown eyes and blond hair.

"Vex-el Dimensio?" the first soldier asked.

"That's me," Calaroh's father responded.

"Come with us. We have questions for you," the soldier said.

When they reached the questioning room in the basement they began the investigation.

The first soldier started,

"We recently had recruitment for the young fighters on other planets and your home was one of the ones we visited. On our list was a young man named Calaroh Dimensio."

Vex-el got anxious. He began thinking.

Calaroh? His son? Why were they coming to him? Had something happened to his son?

"What about the boy? Is he alright?" Vex-el asked.

The first soldier continued,

"You know the boy we're talking about, correct?"

Vex-el was now confused. He began thinking again.

Why would they ask such a question? They surely must have known Calaroh was his son. Otherwise why would they have called him specifically instead of any other Vodeerian?

"Why do you ask?" Vex-el asked the soldier.

"I am the one asking the questions, Vodeerian!" the soldier said sharply. "Now answer me!"

Vex-el was now thinking rapidly and very seriously.

Any answer he gave would have a direct impact on his son. He knew he had to be careful. He finally replied,

"I may know this boy. But if you were to bring him to me then I'll know for sure."

The second soldier quickly spoke out,

"He is not here, Vodeerian."

The first soldier got angry and shouted,

"Shut up! I am the speaker!"

Vex-el was even more confused now. He again went into thought.

Calaroh is not here? But they say they just went to recruit him…How could he not be here?

"Tell me," Vex-el said. "You say that you just went recruiting on Vodeer, right? Then how is it that you did not return with the boy?"

The first soldier was still glaring at his partner. He then responded to Vex-el,

"Answer my question, Vodeerian!" he said angrily. "Tell us whether you know who this boy is or not! Is he your son?"

Vex-el thought to himself:

'These two men went to Vodeer looking for my son. They've returned to Planet Sorvan without my son and are now asking me if I even know who he is… Has Calaroh died? Or has he gone missing? Or…Did he run away?'

He wished that he could contact Shaira to find out what was going on.

Or has she died too?

"No. I don't know the boy," Vex-el said.

It hurt Vex-el to deny his own son. But he was convinced that this was the safest answer for Calaroh.

He felt that if he said yes then he could possibly endanger his son one way or another. This way, at least if Calaroh really was alive then they would not search for him and he would not have to come to Planet Sorvan.

The soldiers looked at each other closely. No Vodeerian would deny his own son.

"Fine," the first soldier said. "You may go."

Vex-el was not through yet,

"Wait! I've answered your questions. Now answer mine. When you went to Vodeer, who did you speak to about this boy? I may be able to help you find him."

The first soldier looked at his partner and nodded.

The second soldier then spoke out,

"We spoke to a woman that we thought was his mother, named Shaira Dimensio. She told us that she has no children."

The first soldier then joined in,

"Do you even know who _she_ is? Or are all of our records wrong?"

Vex-el thought for a second and then nodded his head.

He now knew for sure that he had made the correct decision in denying Calaroh.

Shaira must have known of the recruitment and hidden their son if he was alive.

Why else would she deny him?

"Shaira Dimensio is my wife. I certainly know her," Vex-el said. "But she is correct. We have no children. I'm sorry."

The soldiers got up and left the room and Vex-el walked back upstairs by himself.

"Strange," he said to himself. "To think that Shaira would have the nerve to think of such a trick like that… To lie to two soldiers?"

He then began to smile,

"Of course! It also could have been the boy's idea too. She probably needed to be convinced by her stubborn kid… Calaroh, wherever you are, take care of yourself, Son."

Back upstairs, the two soldiers didn't even bother going back to the commander.

They knew where he was going to send them and they knew he wouldn't go with them. They went up to the throne of Sorvan.

When they arrived, they bowed slowly and the first soldier cried out,

"Master! We have bad news."

King Sorvan looked over at them.

He had gray skin like all Sorovians. His armor was designed with gold running down the sides. He also wore a black cape. He did not wear a helmet, though and his bald head was shining.

The King smiled lightly and said,

"What is it, Soldier? Fortunately for you I'm in a pretty good mood. So let's hear it."

The soldiers were shaking a little bit.

"Well, Sir…It would appear that we put one of the boys from Planet Vodeer in the wrong family," the first soldier said. "So we will have one less recruit than we said we would."

Sorvan stopped smiling.

"Why don't you just go and find the correct family for him then?" The King said impatiently.

The first soldier replied,

"Well, Sir…To find one family could take a great deal of time and we assumed that forty-nine recruits would be enough for this year…"

Sorvan smiled again,

"I see. So I'm a fool for wanting fifty and not settling for forty-nine, correct?"

The soldiers got frightened,

"No, Sir!" the soldier said. "We just thought that one boy…"

"Enough!" Sorvan said before the soldier could finish his sentence.

Sorvan moved so quickly he had seemingly vanished from his seat to the very front of both soldiers.

The soldiers yelled in fear and turned to run.

Sorvan hit the first soldier in his stomach and he just lay down.

The second soldier stopped trying to run and just lay in fear.

"Now," Sorvan said smiling at the second soldier. "I want you to go back to Planet Vodeer alone and find this boy, understood? Or is that too much work for just one soldier?"

The second soldier leaped to his feet,

"No, Sir! It will be done right away!"

He then ran out of the throne room.

Sorvan went back to his throne.

"It's a shame," he said laughing. "You simply cannot avoid lazy workers these days."

Sorvan laughed in his seat.


End file.
